Iraq ranks 101st globally on happiness index

Shafaq News/ Iraq ranked 101st globally and eighth in the Arab world in the latest World Happiness Report, a study that measures well-being across 147 nations.

The report, compiled through a collaboration between Gallup, Oxford’s Wellbeing Research Centre, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network, analyzed data from 2022 to 2024. Researchers assessed happiness based on key factors, including social support, income, health, and perceptions of corruption.

According to the findings, "belief in kindness and trust in others" played a stronger role in happiness than previously thought. The study highlighted that expectations of strangers returning a lost wallet correlated with higher happiness levels. Nordic countries, which consistently rank as the world's happiest, also lead in trust-based indicators.

Iraq scored 4.979 out of 10 on the index. Finland retained its position as the happiest country globally for the eighth consecutive year, scoring 7.735. Other Scandinavian nations dominated the top rankings, with Denmark, Iceland, and Sweden following Finland. The Netherlands re-entered the top five, while Costa Rica (6th) and Mexico (10th) made their first appearances in the top ten. Norway ranked seventh.

Among major economies, Germany placed 22nd, the UK 23rd, and the United States fell to 24th. Russia ranked 66th.

In the Arab world, the UAE topped the regional rankings at 21st globally, followed by Kuwait (30th) and Saudi Arabia (32nd). Oman (52nd) and Bahrain (59th) rounded out the top five. Libya ranked 79th, Algeria 84th, and Iraq 101st. Palestine followed at 108th, Morocco at 112th, and Tunisia at 113th.

At the bottom of the list, Afghanistan ranked as the least happy country globally (147th), followed by Sierra Leone (146th) and Lebanon (145th).